India's government is to launch a programme worth more than $9 billion within the next two years to acquire 126 new multirole fighters, and appears to have shifted its preference towards the selection of a twin-engined aircraft. India's defence ministry late last year forwarded revised specifications to international companies eyeing the requirement to replace the air force's ageing MiG-21/23s.
The move appears to rule against platforms such as Dassault's Mirage 2000H, Lockheed Martin's F-16 and the Saab/BAE Systems Gripen, with lead rivals now thought to include Dassault's Rafale, RSKMiG's MiG-29 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. India will not consider a further derivative of Sukhoi's Su-27, says Russia's Rosoboronexport arms agency.
RSK MiG general director Aleksei Fiodorov says the MiG-29MRCA is on offer, with India believed to favour a proposal to include Phazotron-NIIR's Kopyo radar.
Source: Flight International
